Moderator Margee Posted June 28, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 28, 2012 I remember watching this movie a thousand times when I was a christian. I remember they, (the church) didn't like us viewing it. I would have to watch it all over again to see if I could catch where the church would disagree with the writer of the movie. I Loved it! I knew EVERY word and song in this movie!! Here's one scene that I just loved. Why did they disagree on this movie back then? Does any of you 'oldies' like me remember? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAY3K85xx3U&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser01 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I think its funny hen the church decides to ban things, I remember when they tried to ban the game "Spore" becuase it was about evolution. Greatly enjoyable game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToonForever Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I was the same as you. Knew every word. Can still sing along with the soundtrack without missing one phrase Actually got to see Ted Neely perform this - but he was old. Sort of a geriatric Jesus. That was weird - but the man still has pipes. What a voice. Anyway, the disputes were related to the fact that it was from Judas's point of view and portrayed Christ as misguided, "just a man," as confused and lost in his own story, caught up in something he'd started that he now couldn't control. Now as a post-evangelical, I sort of think that, if there even was a historical Jesus, the musical was closer to the truth of the matter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Awesome music, awesome vocals. Still remember most of the songs myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antlerman Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I love JC Superstar. Have the LP, have the DVD. Saw a live musical performance of it by a local group last year down at 1st Avenue. Totally awesome. Everyone was singing along. Total rock show. Now I have to watch it again!! It's the best. The controversy was that Jesus was too "human" Such stuffy losers to not get it. When I first saw it as a 13 year old in the theater I was really taken by it. And I had no religion to speak of. This Jesus is not your Evangelical version of Jesus. This Jesus rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I also love Jesus Christ Superstar. Still do to this day. It's a fairly secular version of the events leading up to the crucifixion. In addition to what has already been said that the church establishment did not like it are: 1. It was rock and roll at its finest. That's music of the devil. 2. Mary Magdalene is portrayed as being in love with Jesus, not as lord and savior, but as a woman loves a man. That's a no, no. 3. But what's even worse, there are some fairly subtle hints that Jesus just might have some interest in Mary Magdalene, too. Oh, my!! Jesus might have been a man/god, but we musn't suggest that he ever had sexual urges. 4. In the Garden of Gethsemane scene when Jesus is asking god not to make him submit to crucifixion, he uses some fairly harsh words towards god. It was a far more human Jesus than the old fuddy-duds in the church of the time liked seeing portrayed. 5. Before Judas takes his own life, he blames god for what he is about to do. He realizes that it was all part of god's great plan and he was an important part of it, though he did not fully understand it all until that moment when he was about to kill himself. That piece has these words, "You murdered me! You murdered me!" What? God murdered someone? But there is something even more important here than even that. Judas is portrayed also as a sacrifice and his sacrifice was necessary for Jesus' sacrificial death. In other words, Judas becomes a necessary part of the Christian salvation story as planned by god. Oh, my, can't portray Judas as anything other than a dirty traitor who was controlled by the devil!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 That song "I don't know how to love him". That just incensed the pastor. This was a long time ago, but I remember the line in the song "he's just a man" really made his eyes bug out with rage. I loved the music I heard on the radio, but I was actually afraid to see the movie for many years. I believed it was wicked. It portrayed Jesus as just a man and not God. That was blasphemy and i sure didn't want to see it. About 10 years ago I bought the soundtrack and I think maybe once I saw the movie. The music was really good. The movie not so much in my opinion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneTarus Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 when I was still a fundie I re-watched it and my big beef was mainly that this jesus was pretty powerless and there was no resurrection. he basically dies for nothing and everyone packs up their shit and goes home at the end. at least those were my thoughts on it at the time. perhaps I need to watch it again. My mom used to have all the songs on 8-track when i was growing up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted June 29, 2012 Author Moderator Share Posted June 29, 2012 I can't wait till I get some time.....I'm going to watch it all over again. I'll go look for the link to the whole movie so we can all watch it again!!! I am dying to see how I feel about this movie now that I have deconverted and learned so much!! Here it is, here it is!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d50kGVzohnk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Oh, one more thing. Judas had the best male voice. Begin at 6:02 of the above video clip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator buffettphan Posted June 29, 2012 Super Moderator Share Posted June 29, 2012 I remember it too, had the album, (probably still do) and always loved the music. I was in high school and still forced to go to catholic church at the time. My church didn't have a problem with the movie nor with Godspell. Later on I kinda thought of The Last Temptation of Christ as a follow up to JC Superstar -- Mary Magdalene and Jesus getting married, living a real life, because after all he was "just a man"..... LOL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Now that you mention it I realized I have never seen JC Superstar. I have memories of my father singing passages from it when I was a child (that was before he became a Xtian), but the musical was never really on my radar. I heard it was heretical so when I was a Xtian I just didn't care to watch it. But now I watched it on YT and I can certainly see why it's deemed heretical and even blasphemous. It certainly is according to the fundamentalist type of teachings I grew up on. Judas is portrayed as a symapthetic character who raises some very good points, Jesus is portrayed as someone who might be interested in a romance and sex and the biggest scandal is of course that there is no resurrection at the end, implying it did not happen and that, OMG, Jesus was just mere mortal! That's blasphemy if you are a fundamentalist Christian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antlerman Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 My favorite line is when the Apostles are singing, "All our trials and tribulations, sinking in a gentle pool of wine.... then when we retire we will write the Gospels so they'll all talk about us when we die". That's classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingLife Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I enjoyed this too as a teen but by then I had already sold my soul to the debbul listening to what we then termed as underground music. Nice thing, back in the 70's musicians actually could play their instruments w/o too much effects and they had a canny ability with lyrics that spoke more to the proverbial soul than church shit did. The church woke up far too late and sadly what passes for xian rock these days barring a few, really sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToonForever Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I actually prefer the original concept album, With Ian Gillan (lead singer of deep purple) singing Jesus and Murray Head singing Judas I listened to that album so much as a teen that listening to it now puts me right back in the early 80's - every sight, smell, feeling comes rushing back. Love this music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endemoniada Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 My drama teacher showed us the 2000 version last year; I loved it, even though I was a Xtian at the time. I hope to see the '73 version some day. This was my favorite part of the movie: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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